Probably no story we’ve run recently in ARR has attracted more comment than "All care but no responsibility", which we produced in answer to a reader who was worried about being sued by people he took for a ride.
This note (abbreviated to fit the blog) from Henry Rocx in Wantirna, Vic is a good example. He read the story, and wasn’t happy.“A few of our potential ride leaders have also read this article and it scared the pants off them. Now some of them have backed off and are no longer interested, citing the above mentioned article as the reason.
“So it seems that the litigious mindset prevalent in the USA is creeping down under and might affect our ability to conduct group rides…“It has always been my understanding that when we go on a group ride, each rider is responsible for his (or her) own safety, and that if you are unhappy with any aspect of a ride, you are at liberty to pull out at any time. Also, it is up to each rider to ride safely and within the law. I always encourage ride leaders to advise ride participants of any aspect of a ride that may be considered difficult or awkward and then each rider can decide for themselves if they still want to go.
“It would be very sad if as a motorcycle club we can't go on club rides because everyone is too scared to go as a group in case someone decides to sue someone else for making a wrong turn or something similarly stupid.”
I quite agree with you, Henry, but you have got something wrong there: it’s not that it “would be” very sad, it “is”. The laws we warned about are in existence; this can happen right now. All we were doing was telling people the truth so they could make decisions with full knowledge of the risks.
But there’s more. Here’s just one of the points that so many of our correspondents (especially the ones who reckoned that we were somehow causing this problem by making them aware of it!) couldn’t seem to get their heads around.
They thought that it was wrong for mates to sue each other, or they thought their mates wouldn’t do such a thing. But it didn’t occur to them that their mates would probably have no say in the matter because it would be up to their insurance company. And I can just imagine what the insurance company would say if you told them not to sue your mates.
“Fine. In that case you won’t want a payout, and you’ll be looking after yourself as a quadriplegic for the rest of your life.”
There’s more, but this is depressing enough for one blog says Peter “The Bear” Thoeming
I was wrong: AAMI, the insurance company with the wonky ‘research’ into road safety, does not cover motorcycles and scooters. Sorry, I must have had them mixed up with someone who cares
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